FanHouse TonyAllen

It seems like only yesterday that Celtics' head coach Doc Rivers said that Tony Allen was doubtful to play in the Finals, as he couldn't even make it through a team walkthrough. Oh wait, it was yesterday. Well, if you believe Allen will help the Celtics' chances against the Lakers, then I have some good news for you: Tony was back at practice today, and performed better than expected.

The team's other Allen was only scheduled to make it through the first part of practice, but he was "jumping and dunking," a definite positive sign coming from someone who was battling an Achilles' injury. But not necessarily a great sign if you're a Celtics fan.

The biggest Celtics' fan in the national media said in a chat yesterday the following about Tony Allen:

When he didn't come out for Game 5 and my Dad and I were trying to figure out where he was, I threw out the "I hope a Boston fan didn't try to run him over in their car" ... and I wasn't kidding.

So there's that. The AP report points out that Tony held Kobe to just 6-25 shooting when the two teams met in December, but I think that was more of a result of the Celtics' team defense (and the short shorts) than it was of Allen's defensive brilliance. Either way, if Tony Allen is healthy enough to play in the Finals, the coaching genius of Doc Rivers will definitely be put to the test if and when he inserts him into the lineup.

In theory, I'm sure the Celtics are thrilled to be back at full strength with Kevin Garnett back on the court after a nine game absence. But in practice, it just hasn't worked out that well, as Boston has dropped the first two games of their current West Coast swing since Garnett's returned to the lineup.

The first loss was to the Nuggets, and while Garnett was understandably rusty (contributing just four points and eight rebounds in 21 minutes), the team's lack of defense was really the problem. Denver torched Boston for 124 points, the most allowed by the Celtics all season. Then last night in Golden State, the Warriors dropped 119 on Boston, which was -- you guessed it -- the second most points the team's allowed all season. And that was without Stephen Jackson (the Warriors' second leading scorer), who sat out the game with a sprained ankle.

While Garnett played much better against the Warriors (17 and 15), the reason he was in the MVP conversation earlier this year was because he was considered to be the one holding the Celtics' defense together. That obviously hasn't happened the last two games, although you can't really blame KG for this.

You'd think Doc Rivers would have learned by now that Tony Allen is not the one who should be guarding the opponent's most dangerous player down the stretch. Anyway, things only get tougher for the Celtics, as their next game is against Phoenix, another run-and-gun team that managed 124 points in a loss last night to the Lakers. So if Garnett can't step up and lead the defense as he did in the first half of the season, Boston's going to drop their third straight on Friday. Which is basically what we all expected to happen as soon as the Celtics had to go on the road versus the much tougher Western Conference.

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Cup of Coffee
It's not like Chris Wilcox got demoted, technically. It is just that Nick Collison fits the role of center better. But Wilcox, for whatever reason, stopped starting. And Collison played very well. And the Sonics lost 14 straight games. Wilcox started last night at forward, and the Sonics beat the defending champion Spurs, while the ex-Terp recorded 16 points and 10 boards in 31 minutes. If the Sonics are winning when he is out there, he will play, and his value will take a big boost. If you have a discontent owner looking to move him, take a flier for cheap.

Hot Cakes
I know, I know. Leon Powe should have made the headline because I will not get another chance. I actually really like Powe, but he is not going to see any run with the "Big 3" around, barring a major injury. So unless you are in a daily league (in which case you should consider him for the C's next game) you can ignore his 25 and 11. It is nice to see Tony Allen back and scoring well already though, I must admit. And actually Allen, who would fill in for Ray Allen, is a better free agent option if you need to add someone.

Nate Robinson continued to be a monster, racking up 22 points with nine assists in 36 minutes off the bench Tuesday night. Robinson, averaging nearly 20 points and seven assists over his last three, should be starting for all teams while he is hot.

Everyone knows that Boston is the NBA's top dog, but can the team still stand without one of their Big Three? Actually, we already know they can: the C's went 2-0 when Ray Allen missed a pair of games last month with a sprained ankle. On Wednesday, they'll most likely be without Allen again, as he's suffering from a pinched nerve. From Jessica Camerato of HOOPSWORLD:

"I thought like anything else, you have stiffness in the neck but I started noticing three of my fingers started going numb. Then yesterday my pinkie started getting discolored and that's when I realized it was something worse than I thought," Allen said, adding, "It's radiating through my shoulder blade. It's an uncomfortable feeling, it's real uncomfortable. It's like when you hit your funny bone but that's what I'm feeling all day long."

Doc Rivers will replace one Allen with another: Tony Allen is expected to start in Ray's place on Wednesday against the Bobcats, which, if nothing else, will give the guys at TBJ something to laugh at the next morning. But even though Ray's injury sounds serious (it's never a good thing when you're shooting hand goes numb), Rivers doesn't think it's something that will linger and expects to have his sharp-shooter back for Friday's action in New Jersey.

Well, it looks like it's official: Kevin Garnett will wear Celtic green next year, teaming up with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to form one of the most potent (and definitely the most expensive) trio of players in the entire league. From the Boston Herald:

A league source just confirmed that the Celtics and Timberwolves have finalized a deal that will bring Kevin Garnett to Boston in exchange for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff and two first round draft picks.

Garnett is expected to arrive in Boston this afternoon for a physical.

Garnett has agreed to a three-year extension with the Celtics beyond the two remaining on his contract, guaranteeing that he will be a Celtic for the next five years.

That's pretty much the same package everyone was talking about yesterday, except that there are now two first-round picks instead of just one headed to Minnesota. It's far too early to say who actually won this trade (especially considering four of the five players Minnesota received are 24 years or younger) but we do know one thing for sure: Boston's depth took a huge hit.

The most hallowed franchise in the land of basketball tough a stand against bad behavior this week. Sebastian Telfair, the embattled point guard who barely played, was exiled from the team after his arrest. This wasn't Telfair's first brush with the law--he had tried to board an airport with a loaded gun in 2005, but got out of it. But the swiftness with which the Celtics dropped him was, well, kind of harsh.

Especially when another one of their young players, swingman Tony Allen, has spent two years waiting to hear about his own felony charges. Well, Allen has been acquitted of any involvement in an August 2005 fight and shooting. We couldn't be happier for him. Especially since he seems to have learned his lesson. Here's what he told The Boston Globe about his celebration plans:

"I learned a lot," he said. "You have to watch your surroundings and avoid situations that can get you in trouble. That's why I didn't go out. I just chilled with my family. It's almost like you have to watch out for things wherever you go in my situation.

So that's two years he spent anxious to hear if he would do time. And yet, the whole time the Celtics have stood by him. I would say that it's because they've got more money invested in Allen, and yet he'll play this coming season on a $1.8 million team option. That's actually $800,000 less than Bassie, and Allen is coming off of ACL surgery.

I guess it comes down to this: the Celtics think Telfair is worthless, and needed an excuse to dump him cheap. Allen, on the other hand, can be a very stronge defender and occasional scorer. He's been with the team since his rookie season, and just seems to be a more ingrained part of their past and future.